News and Current Affairs
PDD Quiz: November 2018 in Review
Test your knowledge of November headlines with this month-in-review quiz!
The next PDD quiz, on restaurants and bars of yesteryear, will be published on Dec. 16. Please email question suggestions to Alison Moffat at [email protected] by Dec. 12. (more…)
Missing Person: Janeen Bauer Peters
Update: The body of Janeen Peters was found on Nov. 28 about 500 yards from her vehicle near County Road 2 in Lake County. The vehicle was covered in snow and there were no fresh tracks near it. The cause of death is unknown.
The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office had asked for the public’s help in locating Peters. She was reported missing on Nov. 19 and was last seen Nov. 11 driving her vehicle north of Duluth on North Shore Drive. Investigators believe on Nov. 13 she was at a restaurant in Duluth.
Duluth 2018 General Election Results
With 4.113 of 4,113 precincts reporting statewide, below are the results for races relevant to Duluth.
FEDERAL OFFICES
United States Senator
Amy Klobuchar – 1,566,015 | 60.30%
Jim Newberger – 940,454 | 36.21%
Dennis Schuller – 66,264 | 2.55%
Paula M. Overby – 23,150 | 0.89%
Write in – 994 | 0.04%
United States Senator (special election to fill two-year term)
Tina Smith – 1,370,375 | 52.97%
Karin Housley – 1,095,777 | 42.35%
Sarah Wellington – 95,634 | 3.7%
Jerry Trooien – 24,369 | 0.94%
Write in – 1,165 | 0.05%
United States Representative, Minnesota District 8
Pete Stauber – 159,388 | 50.71%
Joe Radinovich – 141,972 | 45.17%
Ray “Skip” Sandman – 12,768 | 4.06%
Write in – 178 | 0.06%
(more…)
Duluth Cider opening Nov. 14
Valerie and Jake Scott announced today that Duluth Cider will open Nov. 14. It’s Duluth first cider production facility. Six ciders will be on tap at the opening. Flights of four sample pours will be available, as well as take-home growlers.
For more info on Duluth Cider, visit PDD’s previous story on the subject: “Craft cider coming soon to Duluth.”
Thai restaurant changes name and ownership, stays in family
Thai by Thai restaurant owner Supannee Stamm
After 19 years as a restaurateur, Sumlee Beede has passed her Sala Thai restaurant on to her younger sister Supannee Stamm. The eatery at 114 W. First St. in Downtown Duluth was renamed Thai by Thai on Sept. 1. (more…)
Lincoln Park craft district booms; West End furniture row dies
Robert’s Home Furnishings owner Bob Rothenberger and longtime associate Rick Lowney stand at the counter inside the Lincoln Park store. Rothenberger has worked in the neighborhood for almost 50 years and recently retired, closing the store.Before Lincoln Park became a craft district lined with trendy breweries, colorful boutiques and new restaurants it was called the West End — where furniture was king and Duluthians shopped for sofas, beds and dining room tables. Those days are pretty much over. (more…)
Grand Avenue Nordic Center trail opening soon
(Photo courtesy of Spirit Mountain)
Eric Chandler reports on his Shmotown blog that Duluth’s first cross-country trail system with snowmaking capability is expected to open in December. (more…)
Winery provides another reason to visit North Shore
Photo by Lissa Maki
With its rugged terrain and sometimes unforgiving climate, Lake Superior’s north shore seems like an unlikely place for a winery. But that didn’t deter wine connoisseurs Chuck and Kim Corliss from founding North Shore Winery near the base of Lutsen Mountains in 2015. (more…)
Historic Duluth hotel reborn for modern downtown living
Zenith City Revival LLC owner Mitchell Holmes, left, and designer Kori Kneeland stand in the kitchen of a condominium model at Building No. 12 in downtown Duluth. Zenith City Revival LLC spent more than two years renovating the historic hotel property and is now marketing space inside the building.
Developers have completed major renovation work on a 19th Century Duluth hotel and will market the condominium space to buyers interested in modern downtown living.
Zenith City Revival LLC announced last week a model condominium and more than two floors of unfinished residential space is now open for showing in the rechristened Building No. 12. The historic four-story property at 12 N. Lake Ave. was constructed in 1890 and most recently known as the Gardner Hotel. (more…)
A Duluth to be Proud Of
“I remember the young people on the trip who said, ‘How come we’re not learning this in school? How come we didn’t know that this had happened?’ …it’s an American story.” –Carl Crawford – Human Rights Officer, Duluth to Montgomery Reflections.
We Duluthians are a proud people. We’re proud of our cityscape and the landscape around us. We’re proud of our ability to withstand the cold, even as we complain about it. We’re proud of our ability to move forward, as Mayor Emily Larson expressed in her open letter to the Rolling Stones this past summer. We Duluthians pride ourselves in the fact that we don’t hide from issues but rather actively engage with them. It was this Duluth pride that prompted a new, local podcast from the NAACP. (more…)
Report scores Minnesota’s progress in sustainability
Minnesota’s state agencies are making progress toward sustainability goals according to a report by the Department of Administration’s Office of Enterprise Sustainability.
The Enterprise Sustainability 2017 Annual Report is the first collection of data that documents progress on cutting costs and increasing efficiency through sustainable practices.
The report can be viewed online at mn.gov.
Selective Focus: Canal Park, Brighton Beach and Park Point flooded
Standing water in the Canal Park business district. Debris and open manholes beneath the water. Waves pushing debris and rocks onto the Lakewalk. (more…)
Hall-pass crackdown at Denfeld riles some students, parents
New measures at Denfeld High School designed to limit the time students spend outside class prompted some angry social media posts last week suggesting it restricted students from accessing restrooms.
“No more permission to pee,” read a graphic accompanying some of the posts on Facebook.
Denfeld Principal Tonya Sconiers was not available for comment this week, but said via email the school does not have a new lavatory policy. (more…)
Hostel du Nord opens Oct. 25
Duluth’s first modern hostel opens Oct. 25. Hostel du Nord, located in the former Garon Bros. Jewelers building at 217 W. First St., will offer an alternative to traditional lodging options. (more…)
Twin Ports Interchange Reconstruction EAW
The Minnesota Department of Transportation has prepared an Environmental Assessment Worksheet for the Twin Ports Interchange Reconstruction project and is seeking public input. The project proposes reconstructing the I-35/I-535/US 53 interchange, US 53 between I-35 and West Third Street, and I-535/Garfield Avenue interchange located in Duluth. (more…)
People mag chooses Duluth Grill as Minnesota’s top breakfast
Duluth Grill is highlighted in the October 2018 issue of People magazine as part of a feature on Top Breakfast Restaurants in each state. The grill’s recipe for Smoked Salmon Hash Skillet, featuring salmon smoked at OMC, the Duluth Grill’s sister restaurant, is spotlighted.
PDD Quiz: September 2018 in Review
As we gleefully (or reluctantly) dive into autumn, let’s look back at the events that made headlines in September 2018.
The next quiz, on spooky Duluth, will be published on Oct. 14. Please email question suggestions to Alison Moffat at [email protected] by Oct. 11. (more…)
Wasabi Japanese Cuisine to open in Duluth’s Old City Hall
The main floor of Duluth’s Old City Hall will soon be transformed into a sushi restaurant. The owners of Superior’s Wasabi Japanese Cuisine signed a lease on Monday for the space. They anticipate opening this second eatery by the same name in November or December.
The building at 132 E. Superior St. is owned by Rod Raymond of the Just Take Action restaurant group. Since 2011, the main level space has housed three restaurants: Tycoons Alehouse, the Blind Pig, and more recently Sound.
Dennis Kempton, who handles media relations for Just Take Action, says the new Wasabi Japanese Cuisine location will be modeled after its sister restaurant in Superior, which opened in March in the former O’Neill’s Pub & Liquor building at 3333 Tower Ave. (more…)
St. Louis County Board approves $136.7 million property tax levy
The St. Louis County Board has unanimously approved its proposed property tax levy at $136.7 million for 2019, an amount that should result in a minor tax decrease for most property owners, due to an increase in the county’s property tax base. (more…)
WLSSD flipped its switch 40 years ago
It was 40 years ago today — Sept. 25, 1978 — when the Western Lake Superior Sanitary District began operating its sewage treatment plant in Duluth.
“The network of pipes and pumps and tanks and treatment pools and chemistry all contributed as designed to clean harmful bacteria and other pollution out of the sewage — from not just Duluth homes, but also homes from surrounding areas and industry as far away as Cloquet,” writes Duluth News Tribune reporter John Myers.
Duluth News Tribune: “WLSSD marks 40 years of cleaner St. Louis River”
Found: “Scandinavian-style boat”
At 8:20 a.m. police responded to the 1900 block of Minnesota Avenue to a report of a Scandinavian-style boat that washed ashore.
Update: The owner of the boat contacted police a few hours later. The boat did not wash ashore; it was purposely beached by the owner after sailing.
Bent Paddle nabs Great American Beer Festival gold again
Bent Paddle Brewing won its second Great American Beer Festival gold medal this weekend in Denver, Colo. The Duluth brewery’s saison took the top honor in the Classic Saison category. (more…)
Dovetail Cafe to open in October
Duluth Folk School Director & Co-Founder Bryan French outside Dovetail Cafe – Photo by Lissa Maki
If all goes as planned, Dovetail Cafe and Marketplace will open in the second week of October. The unique eatery, housed within the Duluth Folk School at 1917 W. Superior St., will serve up meals made from scratch, products from local vendors and a side of education for those inclined to learn. (more…)
Hannah Johnson Fabrics working toward expansion
Janet Anelli, owner of Hannah Johnson Fabrics, preparing cut fabric.
A fabric store in Duluth’s Lakeside neighborhood is expanding into space where baked goods were the longtime order of the day. (more…)